Dmitri Volkogonov, a former General in the Soviet army, was given unprecedented access to the clandestine Soviet archives during Vladimir Ilyich Lenin's rule, by Boris Yeltsin. In 1994, Volkogonov wrote a revealing book entitled, LENIN A New Biography, which rocked the Lenin and Soviet apologist's world. The traditional version of Lenin's life and legacy was one of a Marxist intellectual turned god or father figure. Volkogonov truthfully exposes the psyche of Lenin, along with the practice of Leninism to the public that was not tainted or "imbibed by all subsequent Soviet leaders (xxvii, Volk)." Volkogonov illustrates how Lenin orchestrated the foundations for the gulags, the Cheka, and a totalitarian state; yet Stalin more famously magnified the violence later on. He also shines light on the covert dealings with Germany before the revolution, along with interesting accounts of Lenin's personal life.
             Lenin's upbringing started on 23 April 1870, in Simbirsk where his father; Ilya Nikolaevich, and mother; Maria Alexandrovna, worked to support their family of eight. Their lineage can be traced back to, "Russian, Kalmyk, Jewish, German, and Swedish (Volk, 8)" descent, "But Stalin, the Russified Georgian, could not allow it to be known that Lenin had Jewish roots (Volk, 9)" during his time of distorting history. Regardless of his lineage historians have questioned where Lenin's revolutionary tendencies came from. The "execution of [his brother] Alexander was a tragedy that struck at the entire family, [and perhaps]...sparked a surge of rebellion, (Volk, 12)" in the youthful Lenin. Alexander died believing that his country could change and "sacrifice[d his life]...in the name of freedom (Volk, 16)." After this solemn tragedy, is when Volkogonov feels Lenin started his beliefs that "The action[s] of individual units was not important. The main thing was to command huge, virtually unwitting masses (Volk, 17)." Lenin was alway...